Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
Newcastle area
Yesterday Jason devised a great plan for a day out from Sydney, and we set off before dawn in his landrover bristling with site gen. Massive thanks also are due to Jason and Emma for providing us with our first actual real bath of 2008!
Our first stop was Galgabba point, a very small brushland-covered protrusion into Lake Macquarie near Swansea, south of Newcastle. We spent a lot of time searching the surounding housing estate for parrots, as several groups of Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets were roving around there, rather than on the point itself. We had little of note, but some Chestnut Teal were present and our first Pied Butcherbird and Australian Figbird of the trip. We eventually decided to take the narrow path into the bush that leads to the point, and soon came across plenty of birds. Honeyeaters included White-cheeked, white-naped, yellow-faced, Lewin's, Eastern Spinebill and Bell Miner . Other common but wonderful species such as Variegated Fairy-Wren, Brown and YellowThornbill, Eastern Yellow Robin, a dancing Grey Fantail , Golden Whistler and Spotted Pardalotte were our first real taste of how great birding in Australia is. We also heard Eastern Whipbird .
On our way back to the road, about 100m or so from the road, we had great views of the bird we'd come here hoping to see, a cracking Swift Parrot, pretty much after we'd given up on it. 2 others flew over as we were watching our bird in a eucalypt. A little further on we ran into a surprise bonus in the form of a Shining Bronze Cuckoo . This had now taken up most of the morning, but we left the site in high spirits.
We then drove to Mt Sugarloaf, which is just west of highway 1, at a point level with Newcastle. We took the one road up to the parking area at the top and explored the dry eucalypt forest. Much of the area looked good for Spotted Quail-Thrush, our target bird here. Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and Eastern Spinebills were common, and we also encountered Crimson Rosellas, Noisy Friarbirds and a White-throated Treecreeper. We took the last track below the parking area,on the left as you go up. Along a walking trail on the left hand side of this, Jason flushed a bird that Nicky saw but I didn't. Poor views were had but it sounded like a SQT to me from what Jason got on it. Damn.
After spending a few hours at Mt Sugarloaf we headed back to Sydney to a site where a Powerful Owl is regularly seen roosting. We saw 2 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos in transit. We walked west along the track that runs along the north side of Devlins creek, a tiny creek that forms the boundary of the suburbs of Beecroft and Epping in NW Sydney. Walk along the track from Midson Road, past a track that angles up to the right, and on until you see white poo on the track (about 100m from Midson rd?). Then look up. We just saw poo, and couldn't find the bird elsewhere, but we met some local women who pointed to exactly where the bird regularly sits. Can you tick a bird on poo if it has a distinctive taste? Hopefully we'll be back!
So we had a great day out, Swift Parrot being a species that I'd not expected to see at all on this trip. Or ever come to think of it. Now get this. When were back in town munching a veggie lasagne, we received a text message from Jason. He had taken a cab to the rugby game and what should he spy sitting on a wire as the cab passed a spot close to where he'd dropped us off? Yes that's right, a Bleedin Powerful Owl ! Isn't life odd.
844 Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
845 White-cheeked Honeyeater
846 Mistletoebird
847 Lewin's Honeyeater
848 Pied Butcherbird
849 Yellow-faced Honeyeater
850 Eastern Spinebill
851 White-naped Honeyeater
852 Bell Miner
853 Eastern Whipbird
854 Golden Whistler
855 Spangled Drongo
856 Brown Thornbill
857 Spotted Pardalotte
858 Variegated Fairy-Wren
859 Grey Fantail
860 Australian Figbird
861 Eastern Yellow Robin
862 SWIFT PARROT
863 SHINING BRONZE CUCKOO
864 Maned Duck
865 Crimson Rosella
866 Noisy Friarbird
867 White-throated Treecreeper
868 Red-browed Firetail
869 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Yesterday Jason devised a great plan for a day out from Sydney, and we set off before dawn in his landrover bristling with site gen. Massive thanks also are due to Jason and Emma for providing us with our first actual real bath of 2008!
Our first stop was Galgabba point, a very small brushland-covered protrusion into Lake Macquarie near Swansea, south of Newcastle. We spent a lot of time searching the surounding housing estate for parrots, as several groups of Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets were roving around there, rather than on the point itself. We had little of note, but some Chestnut Teal were present and our first Pied Butcherbird and Australian Figbird of the trip. We eventually decided to take the narrow path into the bush that leads to the point, and soon came across plenty of birds. Honeyeaters included White-cheeked, white-naped, yellow-faced, Lewin's, Eastern Spinebill and Bell Miner . Other common but wonderful species such as Variegated Fairy-Wren, Brown and YellowThornbill, Eastern Yellow Robin, a dancing Grey Fantail , Golden Whistler and Spotted Pardalotte were our first real taste of how great birding in Australia is. We also heard Eastern Whipbird .
On our way back to the road, about 100m or so from the road, we had great views of the bird we'd come here hoping to see, a cracking Swift Parrot, pretty much after we'd given up on it. 2 others flew over as we were watching our bird in a eucalypt. A little further on we ran into a surprise bonus in the form of a Shining Bronze Cuckoo . This had now taken up most of the morning, but we left the site in high spirits.
We then drove to Mt Sugarloaf, which is just west of highway 1, at a point level with Newcastle. We took the one road up to the parking area at the top and explored the dry eucalypt forest. Much of the area looked good for Spotted Quail-Thrush, our target bird here. Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and Eastern Spinebills were common, and we also encountered Crimson Rosellas, Noisy Friarbirds and a White-throated Treecreeper. We took the last track below the parking area,on the left as you go up. Along a walking trail on the left hand side of this, Jason flushed a bird that Nicky saw but I didn't. Poor views were had but it sounded like a SQT to me from what Jason got on it. Damn.
After spending a few hours at Mt Sugarloaf we headed back to Sydney to a site where a Powerful Owl is regularly seen roosting. We saw 2 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos in transit. We walked west along the track that runs along the north side of Devlins creek, a tiny creek that forms the boundary of the suburbs of Beecroft and Epping in NW Sydney. Walk along the track from Midson Road, past a track that angles up to the right, and on until you see white poo on the track (about 100m from Midson rd?). Then look up. We just saw poo, and couldn't find the bird elsewhere, but we met some local women who pointed to exactly where the bird regularly sits. Can you tick a bird on poo if it has a distinctive taste? Hopefully we'll be back!
So we had a great day out, Swift Parrot being a species that I'd not expected to see at all on this trip. Or ever come to think of it. Now get this. When were back in town munching a veggie lasagne, we received a text message from Jason. He had taken a cab to the rugby game and what should he spy sitting on a wire as the cab passed a spot close to where he'd dropped us off? Yes that's right, a Bleedin Powerful Owl ! Isn't life odd.
844 Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
845 White-cheeked Honeyeater
846 Mistletoebird
847 Lewin's Honeyeater
848 Pied Butcherbird
849 Yellow-faced Honeyeater
850 Eastern Spinebill
851 White-naped Honeyeater
852 Bell Miner
853 Eastern Whipbird
854 Golden Whistler
855 Spangled Drongo
856 Brown Thornbill
857 Spotted Pardalotte
858 Variegated Fairy-Wren
859 Grey Fantail
860 Australian Figbird
861 Eastern Yellow Robin
862 SWIFT PARROT
863 SHINING BRONZE CUCKOO
864 Maned Duck
865 Crimson Rosella
866 Noisy Friarbird
867 White-throated Treecreeper
868 Red-browed Firetail
869 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
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